Integral ebullient cooler



July 9, 1963 H. w. EVANS ETAL 3,096,818

INTEGRAL EBULLIENT COOLER Original'Filed July 15, 1959 FIG 3 FIG.4

INVENTORSI LOYD W. DISLER HARRY W. EVANS Y Z/A W ATTORNEY 3,11%,818INTEGRAL EBULLENT COOLER Harry W. Evans, 4409 S. Lewis, and Loyd W.Disier, 6703 E. 27th, both of Tulsa, Okla.

Original application Study 13, 1959, Ser. No. 826,553, now Patent No.3,030,077, dated Apr. 17, 1962. Divided and this application Aug. 15,1960, Ser. No. 49,733

Claims. (Cl. 165111) This invention relates to an integral ebullientcooler. More particularly, the invention relates to a device adaptablefor use with an engine providing a means of ebullient cooling for theengine, and wherein the elements making up the cooling system areintegrally united in a novel means particularly adapting the device foruse with engines applied to mobile equipment.

This is a divisional application of co-pending application Serial Number826,553, filed July 13, 1959, entitled: Integral Ebullient Cooler, nowPatent No. 3,030,077, granted April 17, 1962.

Ebullient cooling as a means of maintaining internal combustion enginesat even and proper operating tem peratures has, within the last fewyears, gained increased recognition as a superior cooling means. Formany years the standard cooling systems for internal combustion engines,especially for engines used in mobile operations and particularly inautomobiles and trucks, has consisted primarily of a radiator and awater pump. In this well known system water is continuously circulatedthrough the engine cooling jacket and a radiator. The radiator issubjected to moving air whereby the coolant at all times is maintainedin a liquid state.

An improvement to this standard cooling system is a pressurized systemwherein the coolant is maintained under a pressure. The primaryadvantage of this system is that the liquid coolant, usually water, willnot boil away and require replacing as rapidly as occurs when thecoolant is open to atmospheric pressure. In the pressurized coolingsystem, nevertheless, the coolant at all times remains in the liquidstate, which means that the operating temperature of the engineeffectively remains below the boiling temperature of the coolant.

It has been determined that engines operate for greater lengths ofservice when the operating temperature is above that at which waterboils. The main reason for the improved engine life appears to be thatthe lubricating oil, when maintained at a temperature above the boilingpoint of water, does not become diluted with water through processes ofcondensation. Since the presence of water is the primary basis for theformation of acids in lubricating oil, the maintenance of the enginetemperature above the boiling point of water means that no acids will beformed in the lubricating oil to attack the engine components. For theseand other reasons, increased interest has been demonstrated in theadaptation of the ebullient cooling system to mobile internal combustionengines.

. There is, however, a deterrent to the ready adaptation of theebullient cooling system to automobile and truck engines and to otherengines requiring mobility, and that is that the present arrangement ofebullient cooling systems typically consists of three elements. Thefirst is the steam condenser where steam, generated in the engine as itengages the engine jacket water system, is returned to water orcondensate. The second component required is a steam and water separatorwhich separates the condensate from the steam, returning the condensateto the engine and routing the steam to the steam condenser. The thirdcomponent typically found in an ebullient cooling system is a condensatestorage container where condensate is stored providing a reserve for thesystem so that small losses from evaporation and leakage will not impairthe efficient operation of the cooling system. These com- 3,096,818Patented July 9, 1963 ponents must necessarily be connected with anetwork of pipe. The ebullient cooling system utilizing the basiccomponents enumerated works completely satisfactorily fOr stationaryengines where size and space requirements are not a limitation. Theebullient cooling system utilizing these individual components, however,does not readily adapt itself for mobile applications because of theunwieldiness of the various components and the piping required.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an ebullientcooling system of an integral arrangement whereby the major componentsof the system are integrated into a unitary cooling device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an integral ebullientcooling system including means of maintaining engine lubricating oil ata uniform temperature.

Another object of this invention is to provide an integral ebullientcooling system wherein the steam condenser, steam and water separator,condensate reserve, and accessory piping components are arranged in acompact unitary cooling system particularly adaptable for mobileinternal combustion engines.

Another object of this invention is to provide an integral ebullientcooling system which will be more economical to manufacture, assembleand maintain.

These and other objects and a better understanding of the invention maybe had by referring to the following description and claims taken inconjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the integral ebullient cooler.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the integral ebullient cooler as mounted inrelation to an internal combustion engine.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURES 1 and 2 the externalconfiguration of the integral ebullient cooler of this invention isshown. The integral ebullient cooler, indicated generally by the number10, is a unitary mechanism composed of three basic structures, which,though described according to their basic functions, are united in aunique manner under the scope of this invention to achieve a newproduct. The first basic element is a water separator vessel 17, whichis desirably of an elongated configuration. The second basic element isa steam condenser section 14 and the third basic element is a condensatestorage tank 16. Condensate storage tank 16 is also desirably of anelongated configuration.

Steam condenser 14 is a series of vertical finned tubes 18 whichcommunicate between the interior of water separator 12 and condensatestorage tank 16. The integral ebullient cooler 10 is positioned withrespect to internal combustion engine 20 so that a fan 24 driven eitherdirectly by crank shaft 26 or by a fan belt 28 is disposed to move airpast the finned tubes 18.

An: engine steam pipe 30 connects from the water jacket outlet of engine20 to the upper portion of water separator 12. An engine condensate pipe32 carries condensate water from water separator 12 to the inlet of thewater jacket system of engine 20.

A condensate recirculation pipe 34 extends from the lower portion ofcondensate storage tank 16 to the upper portion of water separator 12.Interposed in the condensate recirculation pipe 34 is a centrifugal pump36, driven by fan belt 28. The function of pump 36 is to recirculatecondensate from the condensate storage tank 16 to water separator 12.

An overflow pipe 38 connects the water separator 12, at a pointapproximately at its middle elevation, with the upper portion ofcondensate storage tank 16. The function of condensate recirculationpipe 34, centrifugal pump 36 and overflow pipe 38 will be described ingreater detail subsequently.

To provide a supplemental function in addition to the function ofmaintaining engine 20 at or below a predetermined maximum operatingtemperature, the integral ebullient cooler includes provision formaintaining the temperature of the engine lubricating oil within a rangeof temperatures wherein the lubrication oil will have an extendedservice period. A lube oil heat exchanger 40 is positioned inassociation with condensate storage tank 16 and includes a heat exchangetube 42. Oil flows from engine 20 through oil pipe 44A, throughheatexchanger tube 42, and back to engine 10 through oil pipe 4413. Heatexchanger tube 42 brings the lube oil into a temperature contact withthe condensate in condensate storage tank 16 so that the temperature ofthe lube oil is substantially equalized with that of the condensate.

Positioned in water separator 12 is a distribution trough 46.Recirculation condensate flowing into water separator 12 from condensaterecirculation pipe 34, as circulated by centrifugal pump 36, flows ontodistribution trough 46, which extends substantially the length of waterseparator 12, so that the recirculation water overflows the distributiontrough 46 along its full length. This serves to achieve a betterdistribution of the recirculated water in water separator 12. Positionedbelowthe distribution trough 46 is a condensate distributor 48 composedof a fine mesh of material, such as steel wool. Water flowing overdistribution trough 46 engages condensate distributer 48 and the finemesh breaks the overflow water into larger surface areas so thatincreased opportunity is provided for steam entering the water separator12 through engine steam pipe 31) to engage the recirculated condensate.This causes a portion of the steam from engine steam pipe 30 to condensedirectly into condensate.

Water separator 12 is divided into three separate but interconnectedareas (this is best shown in FIGURE 4). Two separator plates 50,extending the length of Water separator 12 are vertically positioned oneach side of the area of finned tubes 18 -of steam condenser portion 14.Separator plates 50 have a height of approximately onehalf of the overiallheight of water separator 12. This provides condensate storage areas52A and 5213. Condensate extractor elements 54, which extend the lengthof Wat-er separator 12, are supported vertically between the top ofwater separator 12 and the top of separator plates 50'. Condensateextractors 54 are formed of material similar to condensate distributer48, that is, of a fine mesh such as steel wool, so that steam flowingthrough the condensate extractors 54 will be stripped of droplets ofcondensate which the steam may carry.

The third area of water separator v12 is steam area 56 which includessubstantially all of the space directly above steam condenser portion14. Steam entering the water sepanator 12 from-steam pipe 30 flowsthrough condensate extractors 54-, into steam area 56 and from theredown through finned tubes 18 into condensate storage tank 16. Steam, inpassing down through the finned tubes '18, undergoes a reduction intemperature and is transformed thereby into condensate by the effect ofair moved through the steam condenser 14 by fan 24. To permit water toflow from condensate storage area 52A tocondensate storage area 52B ofwater separator 12, a trough 58 is provided connecting the twocondensate storage areas so that overflow from storage area 52A willflow intostorage area 52B.

Operation The "function'of the integral ebullient cooler of thisinvention may be described as follows: Heat from the combustion of fuelin engine 20 transforms water in the engine cooling jacket into steamwhich flows out of en- 4. gine' 20 through steam pip'e30 and into waterseparator 12. Steam passes through condensate extractor 54 where anydroplets of condensate will be trapped and fall directly into condensatestorage area 5213. Steam passing through condensate extractor 54 enterssteam area 56 and flows down through the finned tubes 18 of steamcondenser portion 14. As the steam moves downward through finned tubes18, a portion of the heat of the steam is absorbed by air moved by fan24 past the finned tubes 18 condensing the steam into water. Thecondensed water falls through the finned tubes 18 into condensatestorage tank 16.

Condensate is moved by centrifugal pump 36 through condensaterecirculation pipe 34 from the lower portion of condensate storage tank16 to the distribution trough 46 in the upper portion of water separator12. Water overflowing the distribution trough 46 flows down throughcondensate distributor 48 which provides additional opport-unity forsteam entering the upper portion of water separator 12 to engage thereturned condensate and be directly condensed into water. Therecirculated water passes through condensate distributer 48 and intocondensate storage area 52A. Water flows to trough 56 from condensatestorage area 52A and into condensate storage area 523. Water fromcondensate storage area 523 flows through engine condensate pipe 32 intoengine 20 as a liquid where it is transformed in the engine water jacketsystem back into steam and the cycle is repeated as the steam flowsthrough the engine steam pipe 39.

In order to make certain that sufficient water is always present incondensate storage area 52B to provide all of the water required forengine 20, centrifugal pump 36 is designed to recirculate morecondensate through condensate recirculation pipe 34 than is required. Toprevent the overflow of water from condensate storage areas 52A and 52Bdown into finned tubes 18, an overflow pipe 38 is provided. As can beseen in FIGURE 3, the overflow occurs when the condensate storage areas52A and 52B are substantially full. This prevents clogging of finnedtubes 18 with excess amounts of condensate :and leaves themsubstantially open at all times to receive the passage of steam.

Lube oil heat exchanger 40 functions to maintain the lubricating oil ofengine 20 at a desired temperature whether the engine is operating underextremely cold or extremely hot conditions. If the ambient temperaturein which the engine is operating is cold, then the lubricatingoil of theengine would tend to remain below the desired operating temperaturewhich, as previously described, should be above the boiling point ofwater. When the ambient temperature is cold, lubricating oil flowingthrough heat exchanger tubes 42 is exposed to the temperature of thecondensate contained in the condensate storage tank 16 and is heated.If, on the other hand, engine 20 is operating in an extremely highambient temperature so that the temperature of the lubricating oil has atendency to rise above the desired maximum levels, then the flow oflubricating oil through the lube oil heat exchanger 40 will function tocool the oil since the temperature of water in condensate storage tank16 will always be below boiling point. that the oil heat exchanger 40incorporated in conjunction with the integral ebullient cooling systemof this invention provides means whereby the temperature of thelubricating oil of engine 20 may be maintained within the optimumoperating range regardless of the ambient temperature.

The advantages of the integral ebullient cooler of this invention aremany. Included in these advantages are first, the several differentcomponents making up the ebullient cooling system currently used inindustry are united in a unique manner wherein the function of thecomponents have been inter-related. Second, the integral ebullientcooling system of this invention provides a com- It can be seentherefore pact arrangement ideally adapting ebullient cooling for usewith internal combustion engines applied to mobile equipment. Third, theintegral ebullient cooling system provides a means of cooling internalcombustion engines which can be manufactured substantially aseconomically as present water cooling systems and which has innumerableadvantages in extending the service life and perfornnance of theengines. And fourth, the provision of a lubricating oil heat exchanger40 in conjunction with the integral ebullient cooling system provides aneconomical means of maintaining the lubricating oil of the engine withindesired temperature ranges.

This invention has been particularly described wherein the coolant orliquid utilized to perform the cooling function, has been termed water.It is obvious that any other coolant liquid which is transformed into avapor by the acceptance of heat within the engine would function in thesame manner as water described in this invention and the application ofthis inventionto such other liquid coolants is included in thisdisclosure.

The integral ebullient cooler of this invention has been described as itis particularly adaptable to automobiles and trucks. It is just asapplicable to stationary engines where simplicity, economy andcompactness of the cooling system is desired.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity it manifests that many changes may be made in the detailsof construction and the arrangement of components without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a coolingsystem wherein a coolant enters said engine substantially as a liquidand leaves said engine substantially as a vapor, an integral ebullientcooler, said cooler having,

an enclosed upper liquid separator, said liquid separator having acondensate storage area in the lower portion thereof and a vapor storagearea in the upper portion thereof;

a conduit means communicating said engine with said upper vapor area ofsaid liquid separator for conducting vapors from said engine to saidseparator;

a lower condensate storage tank;

a vapor condenser communicating at the upper end with said vapor area ofsaid liquid separator and at the lower end with said condensate storagetank;

a condensate recirculation pipe communicating at the lower end with thelower portion of said condensate storage tank and at the upper end withthe said vapor storage area of said liquid separator;

a pump means in said condensate recirculation pipe for conveying liquidfrom said condensate storage tank to said liquid separator; and,

a conduit means communicating at one end with said liquid storage areaof said liquid separator and at the other end with said engine wherebyliquid is conducted to said engine.

2. An integral ebullient cooler according to claim 1 including anoverflow pipe communicating at one end with the upper portion of saidliquid storage area of said liquid separator and at the other end withsaid condensate storage tank whereby excess liquid in said liquidstorage area is returned to said condensate storage tank.

3. An integral ebullient cooler according to claim 1 including acondensate extractor positioned in said liquid separator whereby saidvapor flowing into said liquid separator passes through said condensateextractor and into said vapor area and extracted condensate dropletsfall into said condensate storage area.

4. An integral ebullient cooler according to claim 1 including adistribution trough positioned substantially horizontally andtransversely within said upper liquid separator to receive condensateflowing into said upper liquid separator from said condensaterecirculation pipe.

5. An integral ebullient cooler according to claim 1 including acondensate distributor supported within said liquid separatorsubstantially contiguous to and below said distribution trough wherebycondensate overflowing said trough drains through said condensatedistributor to provide greater contact of condensate and vapor withinsaid liquid separator.

Wolf July 16, 1935 Hull Oct. 21, 1952

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING A COOLINGSYSTEM WHEREIN A COOLANT ENTERS SAID ENGINE SUBSTANTIALLY AS A LIQUIDAND LEAVES SAID ENGINE SUBSTANTIALLY AS A VAPOR, AN INTERGRAL EBULLIENTCOOLER, SAID COOLER HAVING AN ENCLOSED UPPER LIQUID SEPARATOR, SAIDLIQUID SEPARATOR HAVING A CONDENSATE STORAGE AREA IN THE LOWER PORTIONTHEREOF AND A VAPOR STORAGE AREA IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF; A CONDUITMEANS COMMUNICATING SAID ENGINE WITH SAID UPPER VAPOR AREA OF SAIDLIQUID SEPARATOR FOR CONDUCTING VAPORS FROM SAID ENGINE TO SAIDSEPARATOR; A LOWER CONDENSATE STORAGE TANK; A VAPOR CONDENSER STORAGETANK; WITH SAID VAPOR AREA OF SAID LIQUID SEPARATOR AND AT THE LOWER ENDWITH SAID CONDENSATE STORAGE TANK; A CONDENSATE RECIRCULATION PIPECOMMUNICATING AT THE LOWER END WITH THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONDENSATESTORAGE TANK AND AT THE UPPER END WITH THE SAID VAPOR STORAGE AREA OFSAID LIQUID SEPARATOR; A PUMP MEANS IN SAID CONDENSATE RECIRCULATIONPIPE FOR CONVEYING LIQUID FROM SAID CONDENSATE STORAGE TANK TO SAIDLIQUID SEPARATOR; AND, A CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITHSAID LIQUID STORAGE AREA OF SAID LIQUID SEPARATOR AND AT THE OTHER ENDWITH SAID ENGINE WHEREBY LIQUID IS CONDUCTED TO SAID ENGINE.